And it is news although it’s about olds. The olds being old books – well, let us not say “old”, let us say “timeless”. To be specific, many of my early novels have now been reissued.

All eight Albert Samson and all three Leroy Powder novels are now freshly available in all popular electronic formats, throughout the world. And except the US and Canada they’re also available as new paperback and hardback books.

Sorry about that, US and Canada. But as compensation you can get three more novels (electronically) that the rest of the world can’t get. These are my Indianapolis mysteries, UNDERDOG and AND BABY WILL FALL, which both feature some of my other characters in them. As well, you can get FAMILY BUSINESS. This is completely different, set in the city where I live now (Bath, England) and is the first of the Lunghi family novels.

Does it sound a bit complicated? Well it’s been a long process, involving two different publishers, two countires, and two sets of new book covers. I’ve attached the new cover for my first ever mystery, ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION. It’s the one you can get in the US and Canada. But I’ve posted the other new ASK cover on my website.

But do check out your favorite/​favourite online suppliers of books to see all the covers, titles, and editions available to you. If, that is, you’re inclined to read or reread some of these books.

And as a special tempter, on February 18th only, those of you in the US and Canada will be able to get HARD LINE (2nd of the Powder novels) at a discounted price. Give it a try?

And that’s the news. Given that I haven’t issued a newsletter for three years I guess you believe me when I say on my website that I won’t inundate you with them.

And otherwise, things here are good here – apart from the unreliability of British weather. I’m continuing to work and will announce things as they emerge. And as well I have it in mind to publish a collection of Samson stories that have otherwise only been available individually in magazines. Four of them are linked and one won a prize (and another a nomination.) So later this year. Or next…

Meanwhile you can keep up to date on my website – where, among other things, I now try to post a picture every month or two as I wander around this part of the world.

Newsletters

NEWSLETTER - AUGUST 08, supplementing June 08

August 27, 2008

This extra newsletter is primarily about an experiment in making some of my short stories available to you. However before we get to that…

ALBERT SAMSON STORY

The first ever Albert Samson short story, “The Wilt of Love”, is now scheduled to be published in the February 2009 issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. As I said in June, I’ll try to get a few extra copies to make available to you.

OCTOBER APPEARANCES

I’ll be visiting Indiana in the second half of October if that’s of any interest to you.

On October 21st I’ll be appearing at The Mystery Company, Indianapolis’s wonderful mystery bookstore in Carmel. Then I’ll go to the convention in Muncie, Magna cum Murder, for October 24-26. And in the afternoon of the 26th I’ll be in Muncie’s Kennedy Library from 3 pm. The next evening, the 27th, I’ll be in the Zionsville Public Library doing my audience participation program, “Murder You Write.” A few other stops are not fixed yet but I’ll list them on the site.

See you there…?

STORY PACKS

Now… After my June newsletter some of you wrote to me about back copies of my short stories. I’m not exactly in the story-selling business, but I do like to help people to get copies of my work. And I know that the some of the stories are among the hardest things to find. Unfortunately I don’t have many spare copies of the magazines they appeared in and they’d be heavy to mail anyway.

So, as an experiment, I’m going to print copies of some of my older stories. If you’re not interested in having story copies from me, stop reading now…

Therefore, for a limited time only…

As of today, seven different story packs are available. Each will contain up to 17 single-spaced pages (the limit is determined by the way UK postal charges work.) They’ll be printed on one side and each pack will contain between one and three stories.

The charge per pack will be £5 (five British pounds – currently a little under $9.50.) In addition the airmail postage will be £1.56 for destinations outside Europe. I need to make that up to £2.60 for the printing and packing. That would make a total of £7.60, or about $14 for purchasers outside Europe.

For purchasers in the UK the total will be £6.50 including second class postage. For purchasers in Europe the total will be £7.10 (or $13) including airmail postage.

The stories in each pack will be folded in half. They’ll also have a cover sheet giving a little information about publication details and a bit of whatever comes to mind that I think might be interesting to you. If anything comes to mind…

I will autograph the top story in each pack (unless you tell me not to.) I’ll inscribe it to you or whoever you’re giving it to, if you wish.

You may order as many packs, and as many of each pack, as you like. I’ll be able to make a small reduction in the postage charge for orders of more than one pack sent to a single address – I’ll let you know exactly how much when the order is placed.

To place an order email me at readermail@MichaelZLewin.com. In the “subject” line please refer to story packs.

Payment should be in US dollar checks or UK pound cheques. I can also take payments by PayPal in either of those currencies. When you order, let me know how you want to pay and I’ll provide details of how to do it. I’ll mail the packs to you as soon as your payment has cleared.

I am offering stories that are not already available in my collection THE RELUCTANT DETECTIVE and Other Stories. One pack has three non-mystery stories. Another includes a story that has not yet been published (although it is still copyrighted.) All in all we’ll see if what’s offered below works for you, and if the process works for me.

The seven experimental packs are:

Pack 1 “The Jane Case”
This story is about the Lunghi family (FAMILY BUSINESS and FAMILY PLANNING). It is set in Bath, including scenes in the gym down the street from me. The Old Man takes up exercise…

Pack 2 “And Maybe More”
This is another Lunghi story. In it, Salvatore answers a lonely hearts ad. Strictly for business, of course.

The first six Lunghi short stories were included in THE RELUCTANT DETECTIVE. These are the only two I’ve written since.

Pack 3 Three stories set in English pubs
“They Never Listen” and “D’Ya Hear Me” feature Garth and Annette who meet to play cards and talk over problems in their families’ lives and how to solve them. “Death Row” is the most recent story in this offering and is set in a pub down the street from where I live.

Pack 4 “Rover – CSI” and “Desperate Bitches”
These are the only two Rover stories I’ve written since the publication of ROVER’S TALES in 1999. If you’re not acquainted with Rover, he’s a stray dog (in Indianapolis, though he doesn’t know it.) He helps other dogs when he finds them in trouble – usually because of some human actions. “Desperate Bitches” has not yet been published.

Pack 5 “Cigarettes” and “In Mitigation”
These two stories are not related but have both won praise in various quarters.
“Cigarettes” was broadcast on BBC radio and appeared in a best-of anthology. “In Mitigation” was praised for its legal arguments by best-selling British crime writer Frances Fyfield, who is a lawyer in her civilian life.

Pack 6 Three basketball stories
These are not mystery stories. I wrote each for a basketball magazine that was published in the UK in the early ‘80s. They reflect the fact that I was involved for many years with a basketball club in the small English town where I lived before I moved to Bath.

There is, however, a mystery connection. The narrator of the first two stories was the precursor to the character who narrates my first Edgar-nominated story, “The Reluctant Detective.”

Unlike the other stories in these packs, these three stories were scanned. The printing (on my equipment) comes out as readable but not dark.

Pack 7 “911”
This is a story about Lieutenant Leroy Powder, an Indianapolis policeman. Powder was the central figure in three of my Indianapolis mystery novels and he appears as a supplementary character in many of the others. I’ve written three Powder short stories in all. The first, “Night Shift”, is included in THE RELUCTANT DETECTIVE. The third was completed earlier this year and is currently being considered by an editor.

Stories written over a period of twenty years or so, along with an introduction - by me - about writing stories and an extensive bibliography of my crime writing.
Click on the blue title for more information.

Three generations of an Italian family run a private detective agency in Bath, England. Ever seen a detective agency run as a family business? I don't think so.
Click on the titles for more information.

A homeless "entrepreneur" in Indianapolis gets more than he bargains for when he sees an opportunity in UNDERDOG. Albert Samson's woman friend gets a book of her own in AND BABY WILL FALL. A mystery writer finds himself compelled to participate in a real life mystery in OUTSIDE IN.
Click on the titles for more information.